TULANE TALK

April 8, 2004

Good Morning:

Quite a few of you have asked about the construction currently underway in front of Gibson Hall. Workers are installing four 11-foot tall limestone pylons at the entrances of Gibson Circle. These pylons will be engraved with the "TU" shield, a symbol of Tulane University since our founding in 1834. Workers are also constructing a beautiful marker on the front lawn of Gibson Hall which will spell out "Tulane University" in bronze letters.

The limestone used in the construction of these markers has been mined from the same Indiana quarry which provided the building material for Gibson, Tilton-Memorial and Dinwiddie Halls. These signs will provide an elegant, distinct and memorable entrance to the uptown campus for generations to come. Funding for the new entrance has been provided by the generosity of a Tulane parent, whose son is graduating from the university in May. I promised the family the new entrance would be in place for the Wave Goodbye celebration for graduates and their families on May 21.

While workers are busy beautifying the campus, staff members in the Athletics Department are recovering from Tulane's role as the host institution of the NCAA Women's Final Four Basketball Championship. The championship series wrapped up play Tuesday night at the New Orleans Arena, where the Green Wave men's and women's basketball teams play a few of their games. The Final Four games were exciting but it was the behind-the-scenes work carried out by Athletics Director Rick Dickson's staff that made the event such a success for the whole city.

Donna Turner, assistant athletic director for media relations, and Vince Granito, associate athletic director, deserve special recognition. They worked with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the New Orleans Arena to help put on the entire event -- staffing, games management, transportation, media, hotels, auxiliary events, volunteers, you name it. Events like the Final Four provide huge economic and entertainment benefits to our city. Donna and Vince, along with their staffs, helped show tournament officials and fans why New Orleans is one of the nation's premier venues for major sporting events of this kind.